The present invention relates to a compound needle, particularly for use in a knitting machine.
Such a compound needle is disposed for longitudinal displacement in an associated guide groove of a needle bed of the machine and includes a needle member provided with a head, and a closing element which cooperates with the head and is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the head. The closing element includes a shank which is provided with a beard (tip) and at least one control butt. A laterally acting brake spring is associated with the closing element and provides lateral guidance of the closing element in the vicinity of the brake spring.
In a prior art compound transfer needle of this type, a one-part (unitary) closing element is provided, rearward of its control butt, with a sc-called back shank, is disposed between two narrow spring tongues that form the brake spring.
These two spring tongues are parts of a shaped sheet metal component that also includes an approximately U-shaped yoke member connecting the two spring tongues with one another at one end. The yoke member is placed on the shank of the closing element and is fixed thereto by appropriate bending of its free ends. To prevent axial displacement of the sheet metal component relative to the closing element, the shank is provided with a small butt which is spaced from the control butt, and the component is mounted with the yoke member between the two butts, which act as axial stops.
Under certain conditions of use, it would be desirable to have better lateral guidance for the closing element in the associated groove of the needle bed of the machine in the region of the brake spring. However, for the compound needle of the prior art, this would require adjustments to be made on the closing element at the two spring tongues when the sheet metal component is installed.